''Alyzon Whitestarr'' is a 2005

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

novel by

Isobelle Carmody Isobelle Jane Carmody (born 16 June 1958) is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. She is recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction. Biography Isobelle Carmody wa ...

Background

''Alyzon Whitestarr'' was first published in Australia on 26 September 2005 by

Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.trade paperback Trade paperback may refer to: * Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book * Trade paperback (comics) In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...

format. It was released by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

in the United States in 2005. ''Alyzon Whitestarr'' won the 2005

Aurealis Award for best young-adult novel The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers". To qualify, a work must have been fi ...

and the 2005 Golden Aurealis for best novel.

Synopsis

Alyzon Whitestarr does not take after her musically talented father or her nocturnal, artistic mother. She considers herself to be the most normal member of a very eccentric family until an accident changes that. When she wakes from a coma after an accident suddenly colors are more vibrant. Her memory is flawless; but strangest of all is Alyzon's sense of smell. She can smell people's feelings, view flashes of their lives and perceive their essences. Her best friend smells of a comforting sea breeze. She registers her father's contentment as the sweet scent of caramelized sugar. But why does the cutest guy in school smell so rancid? With these new senses she discovers that some people's spirits have been infected by a sentient disease. With Alyzon's extrasensory perception comes intrigue and danger, as she becomes aware of the dark secrets and hidden ambitions that threaten her family. In the end, being different might be less of a blessing than a curse.

References

External links

* 2005 Australian novels Young adult fantasy novels Australian young adult novels Novels by Isobelle Carmody Aurealis Award-winning works {{2000s-ya-fantasy-novel-stub